1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable lighting devices and, more particularly, is concerned with a peripherally sealed card-like flashlight device having a light generating module and a holder therefor seated in a cavity of a main body structure of the flashlight device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Portable miniature flashlight devices which can be stored in a pocket or attached to a key chain are known in the prior art. Examples of such portable flashlight devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,310,668 to Schwartz, U.S. Pat. No. 4,085,315 to Wolter et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,833 to Wolter, U.S. Pat. No. 4,644,451 to Chabria, U.S. Pat. No. 5,158,356 to Guthrie, U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,631 to Padden, U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,762 to Hallgrimsson et al. and French Pat. No. 1,443,787 to Teisseire.
Some common components of portable miniature flashlight devices include a housing, a battery disposed in the housing, an electric lamp supported in the housing, electrically conductive contact members positioned in the housing and electrically interconnecting spaced contact portions of the lamp with spaced contact portions of the battery of respective positive and negative polarities, and an actuating element mounted on the housing and being movable for closing and opening an electrical circuit between the electrically conductive contact members, the battery and the lamp.
The housings of these devices have various configurations and constructions. However, a common theme of the housings as well as other components is that they are mostly utilitarian in character. Miniature flashlight devices are increasingly popular with consumers thereof because of their utilitarian character. The inventors herein have perceived of innovative ways to expand both aesthetic and utilitarian attributes of portable miniature flashlight devices without sacrificing the previous utilitarian character of such devices.
The present invention provides a peripherally sealed card-like flashlight device designed to satisfy the aforementioned needs. The device is provided with a main body structure which can be made of different materials and can support cards with different indicia thereon, such as logos or other business information. The device also is provided with a holder, a light generating module seated on the holder, and an outer protective transparent enclosure. The holder and light generating module are inserted in a cavity and channel of the body structure and the outer protective cover encases the body structure, light generating module, holder and card therein. The body structure, card and outer cover together can provide the device with different exterior shapes. Given such construction, the device of the present invention employs both aesthetic and utilitarian attributes which will be highly attractive to consumers, such as businesses and the like.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a card-like flashlight device which comprises: (a) a main body structure having upper and lower sides, front and rear ends, a cavity defined between the upper and lower sides and located closer to the front end than to the rear end, and a channel defined between the upper and lower sides and extending between and interconnecting the cavity and front end, the cavity being open at least at the upper side, the channel being open to the cavity and at least at the upper side and front end; (b) a light generating module having means for generating light and means for actuating the light generating means; (c) a holder having an annular portion and a pair of leg portions connected to the annular portion and extending therefrom in a spaced apart relationship such that the annular portion and leg portions respectively insert and fit within the cavity and channel of the main body structure and seat the actuating means and light generating means therein such that the light generating means directs a beam of light from the channel at the front end of the body structure; (d) a card covering at least the upper side of the main body structure and the light generating module and holder; and (e) an outer protective cover encasing the main body structure, light generating module, holder and card.
More particularly, the actuating means of the light generating module includes a battery, a dome-shaped switch member and an annular pad. The battery has first and second electrical contact portions of positive and negative polarities and is adapted to insert and fit within the annular portion of the holder. The dome-shaped switch member has outer and inner sides and is disposed over the first electrical contact portion of the battery and adapted to be deformed between an outer unflexed configuration and an inner flexed configuration. The annular pad of electrically insulative material is disposed between and engaged with the switch member and the first electrical contact portion of the battery and has a central hole such that the first electrical contact portion of the battery can be electrically contacted by the inner side of the switch member upon deforming the switch member from the outer unflexed configuration to the inner flexed configuration. The light generating means of the light generating module is a lamp has a bulb element and a pair of conductive lead elements extending, therefrom such that one of the lead elements is electrically connected to the outer side of the switch member and the other lead element is electrically connected to the second electrical contact portion of the battery. The annular portion of the holder seats the battery in the cavity of the body structure and the leg portions of the holder seat the bulb element of the lamp in the channel of the body structure.
In a first embodiment of the device, the main body structure includes lower and upper layers of rigid plastic material. The upper layer is formed upon the lower layer in the configuration of a longitudinal backbone portion and a plurality of rib portions extending in a transverse relation and opposite directions from the longitudinal backbone. The rib portions have curved upper edges that provide the upper layer of the body structure in an overall convex configuration extending laterally in opposite directions from the backbone portion. Further, in the first embodiment of the device, the card is a business card and the outer cover has a profile similar to that of the body structure so as to sandwich the business card between an upper face of the outer cover and the upper layer of the body structure such that the business card is contained in a correspondingly curved configuration on the upper layer of the body structure so as to overlie and cover the upper side of the body structure and said light generating module and holder disposed in said cavity and channel of said body structure. Still further, in the first embodiment of the device, the main body structure has a recess centrally located on said lower side thereof and a magnet is seated in said recess.
In a second embodiment of the device, the main body structure is a layer of foam material having a generally flat configuration and the card is a folded insert card covering said upper and lower sides of said body structure and said light generating module and holder disposed in said cavity and channel of said main body structure.
In both embodiments, the outer protective cover is transparent and has a generally flat sleeve-like configuration which surrounds, hermetically seals and encases said main body structure, light generating module, holder and card therein.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.